South Korea’s foreign and defense ministers are set to meet with their U.S. counterparts this week amid growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, as North Korea dispatches troops to Russia. 

According to Seoul’s foreign ministry on Monday, the talks will take place in Washington on Thursday among foreign minister Cho Tae-yul, defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. 

In the first “two plus two” talks since 2021, the two sides plan to hold broad discussions on the Korean Peninsula, the bilateral alliance, and other regional and global issues. 

The ministry said the two countries will issue a joint statement after the talks.

Cho will also meet separately with Blinken to discuss the South Korea-U.S. alliance; bilateral cooperation on North Korea issues; and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.